Apropos the recent nine hours of literally dead air, it is just one of the latest instances of Berthold Reimers deceiving the people who work at WBAI, as well as what is left of a listenership his ineptitude has steadily discouraged.
The abrupt cut-off occurred in the middle of something that is all too rare on Reimers' tattered weekly schedule: an intelligently produced and presented program. A highly knowledgeable member of the Creative Unity Collective was paying tribute to audio engineers whose work has enhanced and taken along a new path the recording industry--It was a tribute inspired by the death of Rudy Van Gelder, just a few days before. Reimers has a long-time debt to settle with WBAI and its listener-sponsors. Now he can add this CUC producer/host to the growing list of individuals he has victimized.
Here is what Frank Lefever posted elsewhere earlier today:
I sent copies of Berthold's E-mail to the Staff, and I've posted about
it up on the bleepin' blue board (http://listenerforums.net/01info.htm),
but the real revelation here was that Berthold, and Tony Ryan, had been
informed about this by a memo from the Empire State Building (ESB) guy
on August 17, a full 10 days earlier.
Berthold forwarded the two E-mails from the ESB guy, dated August 17,
and August 26, at 8:59 AM on August 27, after a number of us had had the
experience of finding the station off the air with no explanation. Randy
Credico was particularly upset this morning. He's not been through
situations where the station is suddenly off the air before.
Even after six and a half years some people's radio management OJT is
still inadequate.
[ FROM ONE OF OUR VOLUNTEER PRODUCERS:]
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I apologize for the small print and general difficulty you may have reading the above but I am working from my iPad and it does not always get along splendidly with a program called blogger.
ReplyDelete"Randy Credico was particularly upset this morning. He's not been through
ReplyDeletesituations where the station is suddenly off the air before".
At least there's one good thing that came of this.
KGT
I've worked on-air where the maintenance was scheduled. You deal with it as best you can, help the engineer(s) out. Then, it's back on. I've also had it when it wasn't scheduled due to many things. Everything from parts burning out to psycho listeners breaking in to hurricanes and more. Then the mystery is when the engineers say you're back on, but you're not sure. Sounds like the old Laurie/Fry BBC 4 Footlights sketch. Hi. is anyone listening????
ReplyDeleteThe Personal Computer Show site linked to several BAI LSB You Tube clips. I shouldn't be shocked by this. But all of those people (maybe 25 in the room) knew they were being taped. And NOBODY cared.
ReplyDeleteI was on the air years back on WBAI when transmitter maintenance took us suddenly off. We did the first hour of the show just fine, but 4:00 AM came and suddenly there was a loud blast of static in our ears. Well, after everyone, including Max Schmeid, checked out the equipment to see it was all working, Max called the chief engineer to let him know. Turns out it was scheduled transmitter maintenance and a note was pinned up on the pin up board in the studio - which someone covered over with a flyer for a demonstration!
ReplyDeleteSince the show was obviously abruptly over, Fred and I went and hung in the extra room (smoking room) and talked about old WBAI until 5:00 Am and then went to the diner on the corner. We were lucky we didn't have a band or guest planned for that night.
SDL
The Personal PC show's last night is on the 31st. Despite the way they've been treated, I'll give them credit for trying to exit professionally and not napalm any remaining bridges with mngmnt.
ReplyDeleteThis just in. Sources say that Reimers wants to cancel up to 70% of all current BAI shows. What will he replace them with? No idea.
ReplyDeleteThat was mentioned by Hank Kee on TPCS last week. We can only shake with fear.
DeleteSDL
Reimers is supposed to "address the listeners" on Friday between 6:00 AM and 8:00 AM. "Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night." Margo Channing (Bette Davis) in "All About Eve".
DeleteThey can call it report to the "listener".
DeleteIt's not going to be rough at all. He will talk double-talk. The other staff members, all two of them, will say nothing controversial to keep their jobs. He will say he will take listener calls in the second hour, but the "first hour: will go overtime by about 40 minutes. He will take calls for the last 20 minutes, but end that segment early by about 7 minutes to "wrap it up". Ibbitty-Ibbitty-Ibbitty-That's All Folks"
DeleteKGT
6-8 a.m.- Why that hour? He wants to get out of Brooklyn with the daily commuters in one piece.
ReplyDeleteKGT